IWD500: Mackinac Island (Pt. 2)

Pt. 1 of our adventures on Mackinac Island can be found at this post here.

After lunch, we decided to drop by what is perhaps Mackinac's most famous landmark. The Grand Hotel, constructed in 1887, is a grandiose structure in numerous ways, built originally by railroad and steamship companies to create an ultimate destination for that era's traveler.

The Grand Hotel in all its glory

Throughout the years, it has remained such a destination for many of the island's visitors. Its depiction in movies such as the Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour romantic vehicle Somewhere In Time has helped spread its reputation around the world.

On my past visit to the island nearly two decades ago, the fee charged to non-guests ($5 at the time) was collected at the front entrance and gained them limited access to the hotel's interior. Since then, the non-guest fee has gone to twice as much ($10; not too surprising) and is now required to go past the property's periphery. There's no denying the hotel's grandiose nature, showy interior decor and the idyllic image of privilege it puts forth to the public. For the non-guest, payment of the $10 fee is really going to depend on individual tastes and personal itineraries; we decided that on this day that we had other places that were higher on our priority scale and opted not to venture further.

The unique Arch Rock

From there, we traveled on foot to two of Mackinac's geological features. Skull Cave has an intriguing name and a couple of interesting stories attached to it (basically, the cave was used as a "storage" place for human remains; also, fur trader Alexander Henry hid here when Fort Michilimackinac on the mainland was overtaken by Native Americans during Pontiac's War.) However, it really is not much to look at from the outside, and there is no access to the interior.

More picturesque and worth the journey across the island is Arch Rock. Held as a place of reverence and fear by Native American peoples, this formation is uncommon in two aspects: a natural arch is something of a geological rarity east of the Mississippi River and consists of an uncommon material (Breccia limestone.) Bicycle riders on the island can double their pleasure with Arch Rock by grabbing a glance upward from lake level from the road below, and then circling back to get the close up view. Those on foot down at the bottom can also opt for a bit of a physical challenge by taking a staircase up to the top.

We rambled back down on something of a side trail to visit Marquette Park, basically the landscaped grassy area in front of Fort Mackinac. Other than providing a place for island-goers to sit back and relax or have a picnic, the main attractions are a bark chapel, meant to replicate a structure the original Jesuit missionaries would've constructed to hold their services, and the statue dedicated to the most influential of this area's missionaries, Father Jacques Marquette.

One of the best things about the ticket to Fort Mackinac is it allows you to access more living history displays located in downtown-area buildings run by the Michigan State Park. These displays include the medical breakthroughs made via research of a Fort Mackinac-based soldier whose abdominal wound did not heal property, as well as cooking and blacksmith demonstrations.

Our time on the island was closed out with stops at two island eateries. Lucky Bean Coffeehouse is one of a few places where one could grab a cup of coffee on the go, but is slightly off the beaten path, as it lies a street behind the main drag of downtown. The interior had a bit of a friendly, California Bay Area vibe (I even noticed a staff member with a shirt referencing Walnut Creek, CA); the iced tea and coffee my spouse and I picked up were definitely a step up from the typical renditions put out from its more well-known neighboring competitor (that begins and starts with a letter "S") located on Main Street.

Also, we stopped to pick up a little bit of fudge from The Original Murdick's Fudge Shop. My spouse and I are not huge fudge eaters, but we figured we couldn't NOT get some of this sweet treat. They did not have the live demonstration of the fudge making process actively going on when we arrived, but otherwise they had all the requisite decadent-sounding flavors. Our server seemed a little bit grumpy, but we did get our chunks of chocolate pecan and chocolate sweet black cherry, which tasted just fine and were consumed slowly over the next week.

Finally, we caught our ferry back to the mainland and purposely picked the Star Line Ferry that went underneath the Mackinac Bridge. Windy conditions had prevailed over the lake waters all day long, which made for a very wet ride for those riding on the exposed top portion of the ferry. A few folks were scared inside after the first few waves crashed over top, but for us it was an exhilarating time. The calm of coasting underneath the Mighty Mac allowed us to catch our breath and take in what had been a good day out on the island.

2019 Update: links have been checked and updated as needed

Star Line Ferries

711 S. Huron (Google Maps)

Mackinaw City, MI 49701

231-436-5045

-and-

587 N. State Street (Google Maps)

St. Ignace, MI 49781

906-643-7635

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Original Murdick's Fudge Shop

7363 Main St (Google Maps)

Mackinac Island, MI 49757

(906) 847-3530

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Lucky Bean Coffeehouse

7383 Market St (Google Maps)

Mackinac Island, MI 49757

(248) 342-2988

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IWD500: Mackinac Island (Pt. 1)

For explanation of the subject title header, please see this prior blogpost.

Original state park bronze placard found on a street post

I had wondered on my most recent sojourn to Northern Michigan whether Mackinac Island, a place I had visited two decades previous to this trip, would be substantially different from what I remember.

As it turned out, it really wasn't. Mackinac Island has always had a Hollywood-esque aspect to it in my eyes, with its gorgeous houses, numerous horse-drawn vehicles, architectural spectacles (The Grand Hotel being the most prominent) and other well-preserved historic buildings and structures throughout its four square miles of land.

With that said, there's nothing inherently wrong with that, and one of the beauties of the island is you can choose generally when and how much you want to dive into that vibe.

Getting to the island is easy enough: three ferry services go to the island from ports in Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Our hotel had discount tickets to Star Line, and they did a perfectly nice job of getting us both to not only the island but also our hotel via their shuttle service. Drivers going to the Mackinaw City side also had a choice of ample satellite parking lots by which to leave their cars.

Mackinac Island's sights in and close to downtown

If you have never been on the island or it's been awhile between visits, take some time after you disembark to absorb the environs. Stroll leisurely through the downtown, focus on the details of the well-manicured residential houses, take in the vista of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge, and feel the clip-clop of horses' hooves and clanking of carriage wheels when they rumble by your spot.

We had thought about renting bikes (the ferries generally will let you bring your bikes over for a small additional fee) but decided we would hoof it on foot instead. Also, we made the determination to stick with mostly the historical and nature-based aspects of the island and keep the overly touristy aspects to a minimum.

Our main focus for the morning was Mackinac Island State Park, just outside of the downtown area to the north. The park, which had held national park status in the late 1800s, includes one of the most prominent structures on the island: Fort Mackinac. This military post, which was built by and occupied for much of its active time by the British in its early years, had fallen into disrepair before the state took it over before the turn of the 20th century.

For a modest admission fee ($12 per adult, $7 for kids 5-12 years of age), visitors these days can view the fort as a nicely restored facility with numerous set displays that detail not only the fort's perception and place with the surrounding populace (which changed quite tremendously in its two centuries of existence) but also the life led by soldiers stationed at the fort while it was still an active military installation. Generally speaking, life as a soldier was no piece of cake.

There is an interactive living history aspect available as well for visitors. Actors portraying various fort personnel who can answer any questions you might have can be found wandering about the property. More detailed demonstrations such as artillery firing and bugle corps music are also held regularly throughout operating hours. Kids also have their own displays where get they can get a taste of Mackinac's olden days.

After spending a couple hours at the fort, we headed back into downtown. Unlike most of our vacations, breweries were not one of the main focuses of our trip, but we were both intent on finding some places to sample some of Michigan's finer craft beer. Fortunately, we were able to suss out a place fairly close to where we disembarked for some fine brew with our food.

The Draught House, associated with Mary's Bistro next door, is the island's first craft beer bar, sporting 50 craft beer tap handles. With nearly 40 of these taps dedicated to Michigan-brewed beers, the restaurant sports a nice array of beers of all styles, mixing in more familiar names like Bell's, Kuhnhenn and Founders with some lesser-known local breweries.

After several minutes wading through our choices and some assistance from a helpful bartender, I went with Keweenah Brewing's Widow Maker, a malty black ale with coffee notes with a slightly sweet taste that was definitely up my alley in terms of beer. My spouse went with Petoskey Brewing's Horny Monk, a very nice Belgian Dubbel that would've been extra refreshing on a warmer day. The food we ordered (Chicken Pesto Sandwich for $11 and a Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Pizza for $14) were solid bar-style fare, perhaps just a half-notch better than most.

A bonus aspect of this visit was the crowds, or rather, lack of them. With the Draught House being right next to the ferry launches, most of the morning rush of island visitors had already spread themselves out across the island, leaving the downtown area perhaps a little less crowded than normal (the fact that it was the middle of the week probably helped with this effect as well.)

2019 Update: social media link information has been updated for Mary's Bistro Draught House

Mackinac Island State Park
Mackinac Island, MI (Google Maps)
(906) 847-3328
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Mary's Bistro Draught House

7463 Main Street (Google Maps)
Mackinac Island, MI
(906) 847-9911
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Biking and Brunching: Pistacia Vera

Biking to your brunch destination has its benefits other than the added fitness aspect. It allows you to slow down and appreciate the surroundings of the neighborhoods you pedal through. It helps when the neighborhood is one like German Village, a place for which both local residents of and visitors to the metro area generally have a fondness. The area's charm is multi-faceted, from its history, its architecture, the residents who live there and the businesses which lay within its borders.

One of those businesses, Pistacia Vera, quickly became a favorite of my spouse and I. Their signature gluten-free macarons are still some of the most divine things I have tasted since coming here to Columbus, and their offerings have expanded greatly since they opened their doors in their current location on September, 2007 (they have since opened up a location inside the North Market this year.) 

A visit inside their kitchen during a German Village Food Tour put on by Columbus Food Adventures back in 2012 proved to be an additional treat for the both of us, as we got some behind the scenes info about their restaurant operations as well as sample their macarons to boot.

Just some of Pistacia Vera's tempting pastries

Generally speaking, Pistacia Vera's interior space has always had an inviting, relaxing vibe to me; it feels like a lazy Sunday morning no matter what day I drop by for a visit. Also, the pastries they display not only look gorgeous, but they are displayed in a gorgeous manner. Some non-food items they offer for sale also accentuate this feel, such as the simple but elegant greeting cards they sell from Igloo Letterpress.

That interior lazy Sunday vibe was fine, but with the crowd inside, we were more than happy to take our sweaty selves to the outdoor seating and enjoy the neighborhood views. We were doubly looking forward to this visit because, up until this ride, we had never sampled the brunch menu for Pistacia Vera. After a good solid ride, we were eager to ease back and spend some time savoring our selections. 

After perusing the menu, the Mrs. and I ended up at opposite ends of the spectrum meal-wise. She went for something lighter by choosing their Smoked Salmon Tartare whereas I opted for their Emmentaler Croque (both dishes were $11.)

The excellent Smoked Salmon Tartare with greens and croissant

My croque, which consisted of a brioche with smoked ham, emmentaler and a mornay sauce (a side of greens and dijon was also included) was very well done, quite savory, and pretty darn filling (I was definitely glad that we did not need to speed off anywhere right away to allow me some digestion time.)

However, the winner of the two dishes in our minds though was my spouse's salmon tartare, which is saying something for me in that I generally am not all that much into seafood. All the ingredients (crème fraîche, cucumber, tarragon, lime, lemon and cracked pepper) worked wondefully with the salmon and was the perfect spread for a freshly baked croissant. I would order it myself on next visit should they still have this item on their brunch menu.

The addition of a couple of iced coffees (Pistacia Vera uses their own signature blend created by pre-eminent area roaster Cafe Brioso) on this bike and brunch was the perfect topper on our latest visit to one of Columbus' finest institutions.

2019 Update: Pistacia Vera has expanded beyond their original German Village location, setting up a branch at the North Market in the Arena District.

Pistacia Vera
541 S. 3rd Street (German Village - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 220-9070
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IWD500: Dripworks Coffee (Petoskey, MI)

For explanation of the subject title header, please see this prior blogpost.

My spouse and I have discovered we don't mind taking a detour out of our main route if we learn of something promising on either the sightseeing or culinary side of things. On a recent trip Northern Michigan, we quickly learned that Mackinaw City isn't exactly a coffee aficionado's paradise. Not wanting to settle for typical continental breakfast coffee or Starbucks the morning of our departure, our research revealed a promising place less than an hour away in Petoskey.

Opened in June of this year, Dripworks Coffee is located in the downtown Gaslight District of this tony coastal community. The pre-trip research revealed what at the very least looked to be an artistic flair not only in their website and their Facebook page, but also in their food items. Upon our arrival, nothing about the storefront dissuaded us from this initial impression.

The interior continued this stylish motif: white brick-like tile inlay behind the counter, re-purposed wood benches and tables, chalkboard menus, and the recently installed "Birds In Flight" artwork on the walls from artist Kelly Kazmierski.

Beautifully made and
delicious tasting

And yes, the food items looked as aesthetically pleasing in person as they did on their website posts. It took us a bit to decide on the baked goods as everything looked truly delicious, but in the end it seemed it would be a sin if we did not order one of their beautifully designed pinwheel pastries. With cherries being one of my spouse's weaknesses, the black cherry pinwheel (the other was an equally tempting apricot) made our selection pretty easy. Similarly, one of my weaknesses came into play as I ordered their Danish frøsnapper, essentially a sweet (but thankfully not too sweet) poppyseed twist. We savored both of these European-style pastries ($3 each) as we waited for our coffee.

Dripworks uses beans from Grand Rapids roaster Madcap, and their coffee did not disappoint. Their cold brew with coconut milk ($3.70) was something I had never seen offered on any other menu and gave that a whirl; this combo worked sublimely well as the coconut flavor enhanced rather than masked the floral notes of the coffee itself.

My spouse opted for their pour over hot coffee, where one can choose from one of three beans for the pour over treatment. Seeking a more robust roast, my spouse opted for the El Salvadoran El Porvenir, which promised dark chocolate, plum and cinnamon flavor notes. Unsurprisingly, Dripworks' presentation of her coffee again showed flair: the coffee itself was in a glass beaker, accompanied by a white porcelain sipping cup and cream dispenser all on top of a wooden serving block. Like the cold brew, this was a palate-pleaser whose flavor notes especially went well with my spouse's the black cherry pinwheel.

The pour over coffee was artfully presented as well

Outside of coffee and pastries, Dripworks Coffee has recently launched a lunchtime menu, homemade ice cream sandwiches and drinking chocolate (hot or iced) which uses the offerings of gourmet chocolate maker TCHO out of San Francisco. Most if not all of their food offerings are some combination of organic, vegan and gluten-free.

The owners were incredibly personable and friendly (they have quite the tale to tell in regards to how they actually stumbled into the coffee business) and were genuinely excited to trade tales of travel and hear about how we discovered their coffee place.

The folks at Dripworks Coffee showed an enthusiasm and passion for their craft that would seem to make their long-term business prospects promising as they head into the colder months of the year. If you are in or close to the Petoskey area, Dripworks is a place worthy of a visit.

2019 Update: This coffee shop keeps on brewing, with some notable press from places like Eater Detroit and Sprudge.com.

Dripworks Coffee
207 Howard St (Google Maps)
Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 838-9875

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Freshly Minted: Yuan-Ye Fresh Kitchen

One of the things I personally miss as a close-to-work lunch option is a Chinese restaurant. Back in San Francisco, I had several options, but the cuisine just isn't as prevalent here in general, and definitely not so in the downtown area.

That's why I was personally excited by the signs touting the opening of Yuan-Ye Fresh Kitchen at the old Maki Go sushi location near the corner of Broad and High. Also, food items on the initial menus looked quite intriguing, containing things that I had never really seen on the typical American-Chinese menu Also, the mention of steamed buns, crepes and other items for breakfast you don't find in the downtown area put this place on my must-visit list.

Based on these first visits, the family-run Yuan-Ye has work to do and is learning on the job. For example, the table layout was setup in a way that blocked customer flow in and out of their space and lent the impression that they were still in the process of moving in (they have fixed this quirk recently.) Also, there's not much advertising the restaurant's opening other than sandwich board signs outside their store and a newly installed but somewhat hard-to-read awning.

Yuan-Ye's chalkboard-style menu

Customer service is similar: the owners are earnest in their attempts to provide good service but it remains disheveled at times, Unlike many takeout joints, Yuan-Ye does not have steam table setup at the front counter; menu items are mostly brought back from the back kitchen, save for items displayed in the heat lamp display case. Truthfully, this case probably isn't the best way to show items like their chicken legs or their Ye-Ye fish, nor does it lend a notion of freshness as referenced in their restaurant name.

Regardless, I'm game to try most anything, and what I've tried so far has been a mixed bag. The most winning item so far has been their minced pork steamed buns (2 for $2.99) they serve for breakfast. The pork filling was moist and had a pleasant savory taste, with hints of ginger and a thirteen-spice (I had only heard of five-spice before) blend. These buns also passed my freeze test: as I grew up as a child, my parents would occasionally make huge quantities of their delicious siopao, a Filipino steamed bun. This siopao eminently freezes well after their initial steam cooking, and these buns were similar in nature when I brought some extras home for future consumption.

Their pork potato noodles ($6.45) were unlike any noodle dish I've ordered before and didn't look like much at first glance. Consisting of cubes of what seemed to be ham and potatoes within a mass of noodles and greens, this dish actually proved to be fairly tasty.

Clockwise fr. top left: steamed buns, Ye-Ye fish,
Chinese crepe, and pork potato noodles

Their Chinese crepe ($3.99) probably is a jian bing (煎饼), but it is missing a crunch aspect typically found inside this street food item. Regardless, it is emblematic of the mixed-bag you get here. On the plus side, the crepe itself was freshly made at the front counter, was cooked well, and tasted just fine. The egg they placed on top of the batter was a nice touch that is typical of this creation.

On the minus side, the turkey they used within was supermarket level (think Oscar Meyer) and the paste they used to brush the crepe (reminiscent of soy sauce) was unevenly salty, making some bites of the crepe unpleasant due to the sheer saltiness.

Despite the heat lamp treatment, the Ye-Ye fish ($4.99) was a decent tasting filet with a predominant cumin flavor.

Yuan-Ye has some unique items to offer and adds some diversity to the downtown dining scene, but overall they are still a work in progress. The uniqueness of these items also may be an issue as they may not be enough to bring in less adventurous eaters (they have added a Pad Thai dish recently.) The speed of their service may also need to be improved to satisfy the eat-and-run downtown crowd. Improving their overall consistency and service should be the first thing on their docket to ensure their stay in the area is not a short one.

(09/03/2014 Update: Alas, this last sentence might have been prescient; a large "Closed" sign has been on the door the past two days, and there's no indication that they'll be reopening in the future.)

Yuan-Ye Fresh Kitchen
12 E. Broad Street (Downtown)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 216-6198